In The Shadows
by Mario The World Champion
Summary: A mysterious organization appears with the goal to lead Naturals and Coordinators to their destruction, whether they like it or not. One of their newest members is Kira Yamato? Why would he join a group with dark intentions and how will his friends and Lacus Clyne react to his perceived betrayal? Phase 3 uploaded.
1. Prologue

Disclaimers:  
I DO NOT have the rights to Gundam Seed, GSD, its characters, mobile suits and its setting. They are all property of Bandai and Sunrise. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. This is purely for enjoyment purposes.

Author's Notes:  
Well, look who has returned to the world of fanfiction. And look who decided to throw his hat into the Gundam Seed fanfic universe. To all the people who watched me for updates to my past stories here, I'm sorry for leaving them unfinished. I had a major life shock that I'm still going through as of the date of this story's release. That shock made me lose the desire to write. My excursions during NaNoWriMo have kept my writing skill from becoming rusty. If anyone is going to ask if I will continue my past stories... I don't know. I bet you my writing style has changed and I may decide to get back to them or rewrite them.

Anyway, I have been inspired to write my own Gundam Seed fanfic all thanks to reading "Forbidden Memories" by The Strike Freedom and "Believe in your feelings, so you won't regret it" by Takanari Kamiya. Both stories deal with Kira somehow joining forces with his enemies for their own evil doing. I personally like this plot very much because you don't see this at all. It has so much potential. The inspiration from these stories was just too great for me to keep inside and I had to write this. To all Gundam Seed fic readers, I hope you enjoy this and I hope I can be accepted into the Gundam Seed fandom.

Story-wise, this takes place in Gundam Seed Destiny, moments after Shinn Asuka defeated Kira Yamato in a heated battle during Operation Angel Down. This is the point of divergence from the normal plot of the Anime. Anyway, here we go.

Summary:  
The strict doctrine they follow only has one rule: Observe the actions of Naturals and the Coordinators to see if they are once again on the path to destruction. If their actions prove reason that they are on that path, then they will appear. Not to finally stop the fighting, but to eliminate both the PLANTs and the Earth Federation as punishment for being nothing but ignorant animals who manipulate their own humanity for their own selfish gains. If they want to destroy each other, then they will help them whether both Naturals and Coordinators know it or not.

* * *

In The Shadows

Prologue

Shinn Asuka let out a big sigh of relief seconds after he finally destroyed the Freedom and hopefully its pilot. He tried to steady his breathing as his face began to drip with sweat from the exhausting battle. The plan Rey told him about paid off and his enemy, along with the dreaded Archangel were destroyed. PLANT Supreme Chairman Gilbert Durandal proclaimed that the ZGMF-X10a Freedom and the Archangel were confusing people with their random actions. And so, they had to be destroyed Shinn's ZGMF-X56S Impulse was in need of new arms after the suit lost them as the Freedom exploded thanks to Shinn impaling it with its massive anti-ship sword. It was that pilot who killed Stellar, the girl he was trying to save from the Extended Human program.

"I did it, Stellar I killed the bastard who took you away from me." Shinn said to himself, his voice shaking from the combat high he was still experiencing. After taking one last look at the area where the now destroyed Freedom plunged into the ocean, Shinn and the damaged Impulse began the trip back to the Minerva where his comrades were happily waiting for him to return.

* * *

The Freedom's torso finally hit the bottom of the ocean floor with a soft thud. While the cockpit area had some damage, it was still sealed watertight and there was still plenty of oxygen for the pilot for maybe a day or so. As the wrecked mobile suit rested on the ocean floor, a pair of spotlights and a snake-like detecting system appeared from the darkness. The lights and sensor were connected to what appears to be a spaceship that has underwater capabilities to act as a submarine. The ship stopped propulsion as soon as the Freedom was discovered by the spotlights. Inside the ship, two members of the crew were at a scanning station in a barely lit bridge and began to inspect what they have just found. One man was already at a scanning station while another was piloting the ship at the helmsman station. He stopped all control of the ship and once it was quiet, the helmsman moved to the scanning station to see what his co-worker just found.

"What is it?" The helmsman asked as his co-worker focused on the movement of the scanning pod. He maneuvered the pod closer to the destroyed mobile suit. The monitors were the only thing providing the only light source in the darkened bridge.

"I don't know. It looks like a mobile suit. Or what's left of it." The second man answered while the helmsman let out a whistle of amazement as they looked more closely at the now destroyed Freedom.

"Damn. That thing got wrecked big time. Makes you wonder if the pilot of this is even alive." The helmsman said. His comrade nodded in agreement when one of the sensors detected the Freedom's ultra-compact nuclear fission reactor. Before being destroyed by the Impulse, the pilot of the Freedom shut down the reactor just in time to prevent a nuclear explosion and killing both himself and the pilot who dealt the final blow to the mobile suit.

"Hey, this suit has a nuclear reactor." The second man said, pointing to the scanner's readings on the screen.

"How can that be? The N-Jammers that ZAFT dropped all over the world should have made this thing inactive." The helmsman pointed out,

"You got me." The second man answered. The sensors then detected what appears to be a life signature, meaning that the pilot of the destroyed machine was perhaps still alive. Moments later, the captain of the ship arrived on-board. He was a rough looking older man who probably has seen a great deal of action in his life compared to the two young men who seemed to be only in their early 20's. He was notified that the two men found a damaged mobile suit that was a part of the big battle above and have began scanning it once they were near it.

"Have you two found anything from that battle that took place overhead?" The Captain asked, peering over the shoulder of the second man to look at the monitor that was displaying the wrecked mobile suit.

"Yes, Captain. Sensors are showing a life sign in the destroyed mobile suit's cockpit." The helmsman answered,

"Not only that, we discovered that this mobile suit is packing a nuclear reactor." The second man added,

"A nuclear reactor? How can it operate here on Earth with all the N-Jammers around?" The Captain questioned,

"The scans have shown that the reactor has suffered no damage and there is no threat of radiation. With your go ahead, we would like to conduct a rescue/salvage operation to retrieve the pilot before the cockpit is eventually flooded." The second man asked,

"I would also like to see how in the world a nuclear reactor isn't affected by the N-Jammers as well, Sir." The helmsman added. The Captain took a moment to think about the options the two members discussed and came to a conclusion.

"Drowning in the deep ocean is no way for a person to die. Commence the rescue and salvage operation at once, Jenkins." The Captain said, agreeing with the plans of the two crew members.

"I'll handle the rescue operation while Leeroy works on the salvage part and makes sure that reactor really is safe." Jenkins, the helmsan said as he got to work contacting the hangar to get ready for the wrecked mobile suit.

"Excellent. Make sure to tell sick bay of the operation as well." The Captain said,

"Already on that, Captain." Leeroy, the second man answered as he was already busy sending a message to the sick bay to prepare for a possibly injured mobile suit pilot. The Captain began to head back to his seat on the bridge of the underwater ship, but then turned around to face both Jenkins and Leeroy.

"Have you had any news of our comrades who are returning from space?" The Captain asked,

"I got a message from Keith just before we found that mobile suit. He and the others on the Devastator missed their point of re-entry and they suspect they'll land near the country of Val Verde in the United States of South America instead of our current location." Jenkins answered,

"It's just like them to do something moronic. This will delay our rendezvous with them by a few days at least while we have to get near Val Verde." The captain muttered in annoyance,

"Well, it does give us some time to check out the suit and some needed R&R." Leeroy pointed out,

"Hmm... you're right about that, Leeroy. Once we meet up with our teammates, we will get right to business and implementing the plan. I'll leave you two to supervise the current operation." The Captain said,

"Aye aye, sir." Both men saluted and they quickly got back to work on their respective orders. The Captain saw them quickly at work and left the Bridge as he made his way back to his quarters to read reports from other members of the organization.

* * *

Closing Notes:

There. This is only the beginning. I hope this is a good start for me in my return to the fiction writing world and my introduction into the Gundam Seed fiction fandom. As long as I have ideas for the story and you readers like it, I will do my best to update this regularly, although life will try to kick my ass. And it can really make me discouraged to boot.

Please do read and review or leave me a Private Message. By the way, I know the title is probably a bit weak, but I think it fits for the story.


	2. Phase 1: The Mysterious Pilot

Disclaimers:  
I DO NOT have the rights to Gundam Seed, GSD, its characters, mobile suits and its setting. They are all property of Bandai and Sunrise. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. This is purely for enjoyment purposes. The OCs in the story are mine.

Author's Notes:  
Okay, I must be sick or something. I actually made a new chapter in such a short amount of time. Maybe it's because I want to show my watchers that I can get back to writing normally. Or maybe it's because I want to get this story and its idea out there for all to enjoy. Or maybe it's because I'm listening to Super Eurobeat (the music that is synonymous with Initial D).

In this chapter, or Phase as the series likes to use for episodes, the Archangel is searching for Kira and the Freedom, except the group that was introduced last time beat them to it, but the Archangel team are in the dark. Also, I introduce an Original Character that will play a major part in the story.

Before I start, I want to give a shout-out to Magus-15IchiGo and DJ Rodriguez (I can always count on you for a review, DJ.) for their reviews. I hope more fans like this story of mine.

* * *

In The Shadows

Phase 1: The Mysterious Pilot

Ledonir Kisaka thought it would be better for Cagalli to stay in ORB and let someone else find Kira since there still could be ZAFT forces in the vicinity. Instead, he relented and let her go out in the Strike Rouge. He knew that she and Kira were close and Cagalli would most likely do something rash, harsh and drastic if Kira was hurt or if he wasn't found safely. Captain Murrue Ramius and the crew of the Archangel along with Kisaka, waited patiently for Cagalli to begin reporting in. The infamous vessel was in Morgenroete's secret dock in ORB as it was making repairs after taking severe damage in their last battle against the Minerva. It was very lucky to escape, as the ship detached one of its engines to make it look like the ship was destroyed in an explosion.

The MBF-02 Strike Rouge, Morgenroete's version of the former GAT-X105 Strike, arrived at the spot where Kira's Freedom went into the ocean. There, Cagalli dipped a scanning pod into the water and continued to lower it to a reasonable depth. The pod uses sonar waves that bounce back at anything metallic, like a mobile suit. The Lioness of ORB was hoping that the ZAFT forces that were gone after the Freedom was destroyed and the Archangel supposedly destroyed as well. Seconds later, the scanner began transmitting its findings.

"Odd. I am in the right spot where Kira's last signal was detected. The scanner is not picking up anything from his destroyed mobile suit." The fiery blond haired Princess of ORB said, double checking the readings from the scanner. It was only detecting the bits and pieces that came off the Freedom as it blew up and sunk to the ocean floor.

"Cagalli, have you found Kira and the wreckage of the Freedom?" Archangel Captain Murrue Ramius asked. The submersible detecting sensor began to pick up a few pieces of the Freedom's wings that seemed to have been dropped as the mysterious crew gathered the mobile suit into their underwater cruiser.

"The detector is picking up pieces of the Freedom, but the torso section is not here. I'm not even picking up any traces of the Freedom's reactor." Cagalli replied,

"It would be impossible for the ocean currents to carry the Freedom away with such ease." Murrue thought about the situation for a few seconds before turning her head to her left to face Miriallia Haw, the CIC operator. "Miriallia, did you detect any underwater vessels from the time Kira went down to when Cagalli arrived at the site?" Murrue asked.

"I've been doing multiple sensor scans and even if an underwater ship appeared, the sonars would have detected it easily, ma'am." Miriallia answered. As one of Kira's long time friends from Heliopolis, she was more worried than usual. Could there have been a chance that Kira Yamato was actually killed? However, Kira survived a lot worse and Miriallia was sure her friend was safe somewhere and already thinking about returning to the Archangel.

"There is a possibility that ZAFT could have developed a stealth submarine and were in the area where Kira was since he was fighting a ZAFT mobile suit." Kisaka said,

"After that announcement by Chairman Durandal about LOGOS, the whole world is less trusting of anybody in the Earth Alliance. Getting rid of Kira and the Freedom would give him much momentum in whatever his plans are." Murrue added,

"Captain, there could be a slim chance that if Kira survived, an unknown ZAFT vessel could have easily found him first. And since he happens to be a different breed of Coordinator, they might try to use him for their own plans." Arnold Neumann, the helmsman of the Archangel said,

"You have a good point, Neumann. I only hope that isn't the case." Murrue agreed. The mood on the bridge immediately went south after what Neumann said and the usually reserved helmsman of the Archangel already regretted saying that. He has a secret respect for Kira for protecting the ship against his better judgment and the entire crew also respected Kira for what he did for them and considered the young Coordinator one of them. A quiet nod from Murrue saying it wasn't his fault for saying that sort of made him feel better, but he too was hoping that wasn't the case.

"What happens if we actually can't find him?" Kisaka asked. Unfortunately for him, Cagalli was listening to the crew's conversation and decided to give her bodyguard a piece of her mind.

"Don't think you dare think about that, Kisaka! Kira has a knack for surviving anything! He would have found a way to escape the Freedom!" Cagalli shot out at her bodyguard via the radio. Murrue knew that Cagalli was right, but she was worried that if ZAFT got a hold of him, he would most likely be executed by Gilbert Durandal or used by ZAFT like Neumann pointed out.

"How will we tell Lacus if we can't find Kira or if ZAFT captured him?" Murrue asked herself quietly. She was a bit envious of the budding relationship between the two Coordinators since it painfully reminds her of the last man who she loved, Mu La Flaga. He sacrificed himself to protect the Archangel from the Lohengrin blast from the Dominion during the final battle of the first Bloody Valentine War. Also it didn't help her that the man who was currently in the ship's sick bay greatly reminds her of Mu, even though he constantly reminds the crew that he is Captain Neo Roanoke of Phantom Pain, not Mu La Flaga, the "Hawk of Endymion" as he is also known as. On the other hand, having Lacus in his life gives Kira that little bit extra to protect everyone in the name of achieving peace and there was something calming about seeing two young people who are just about meant for each other in love.

"Lacus probably has enough to worry about with her supervising the construction of the new machines up in space. If we tell her what happened to Kira, I don't know how it will affect her." Miriallia said,

"I hate keeping anything from her, but it's best we do not make her worry. Cagalli, please keep looking for any signs of Kira and the Freedom." Murrue said,

"I'll do everything I can from my end, Miss Murrue." Cagalli replied. With that, Cagalli and her Strike Rouge began to search an even wider area for her brother and his destroyed mobile suit. Her mind was spinning with worry and a part of anger because of Kira's recklessness.

_Kira, you idiot. When I find you, You're so going to get it for making all of us worry!_ Cagalli thought as she kept searching the area for Kira and the Freedom. Little did she and the crew of the Archangel know, Kira was rescued, but it wasn't by ZAFT.

* * *

"How is the young man we rescued?" It has been a day since the group discovered what is left of the Freedom and rescued its pilot from the ruined hulk. The ship was well on its way to South America to rendezvous with their sister ship, but the people on board were all busy as usual. The few mobile suit techs on board were taking the Freedom apart and see if they can learn anything from it, if that is possible. The Captain of the ship was busy talking to the resident doctor about the young man they found in the cockpit.

"He's still unconscious. The force of the explosion we recorded most likely knocked him into next week? Physically, his wounds are healing at a very fast rate. I haven't seen anything like it." The resident doctor answered,

"Do you suspect this young man might be a Coordinator? They are like cockroaches. They'll survive just about anything." The Captain asked again,

"It's possible, but I would hardly consider them cockroaches. If he is a Coordinator, why hasn't he woken up yet? That is the Million dollar question. The blast must have more than knocked him for a loop. However, I wish we could have access to our much more advanced medical gear on the Devastator. We can only do so much here on the Eliminator." The doctor answered. The Eliminator and Devastator are two ships that can form into one, massive combat ready ship and mobile suit platform. The Devastator is the much larger of the two and has much better equipment and more crew members than the Eliminator, but the Eliminator has the ability to use the now banned Mirage Colloid technology to make it invisible to radar and the naked eye, much like the former GAT X-207 Blitz. That system is fully engaged at the moment as the ship made its way to the rendezvous destination.

"I know. I can't wait to hook up with them and have full access to everything." The Captain said. Moments later, the door to sick bay opened up and in walked a young man carrying a bag of chips and was busy eating them. The Captain turned to the door and immediately had a sour look on his face.

The young man was just as tall as the Captain, around 5'10" but the Captain had a more muscular build on him, contrasting to the smaller but lean frame of the young man. His face still had some youthful features that could probably make girls look his way. His hairstyle was one of his main features. Nobody else on the crew has purple hair and a slight spiky front fringe that smooths out at the back and ends up in a very long ponytail that ends at his thighs. He wasn't wearing the regular crew jump suit, opting for a plain gray t-shirt, blue jeans with a torn hole at the right knee, a black belt and black high top sneakers.

"Vincenzo, you are going to rip up your throat if you keep eating those the way you do." The Captain said, noting how the young man named Vincenzo ate his favorite nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips. He took a handful and stuffed them in his mouth and munched them for a bit before swallowing.

"That is if you don't chew them, dummy." Vincenzo shot back smartly as he grabbed another handful and began to chew them,

"Just what the hell do you want, punk?" The Captain said annoyed. The doctor could clearly see the dislike between the Captain and this Vincenzo kid. The doctor was new here, only joining the crew of the Eliminator a week ago, so he has no idea of the potential bad blood between the superior officer and the young man.

"Is he the pilot of that suit Leeroy and Jenkins found yesterday?" Vincenzo asked as he pointed with his free left hand at the sleeping young man. The medical team removed the flight suit he was in and got him into normal patient clothes. A few bandages were wrapped around a few cuts and bruises he must have suffered during the explosions. He looked to be okay, but the doctor wanted to make sure he was okay and looked forward to rendezvousing with the Devastator.

"That's right. We have no idea who he is and he's still unconscious." The doctor answered,

"I heard from Leeroy that the explosion was that really big for a suit that size. Bet you it knocked him into next week. Or next month." Vincenzo said,

"Just what are you doing here anyway? You should be going over the reports from Keith and the others." The Captain said. The team received a load of spy reports from their comrades on the Devastator. It was filled with information regarding the actions of the PLANTs and the Earth Alliance. The organization was planning on using those reports to initiate attacks in the future.

"I'm letting Haro dry his circuits. It's Trevor's fault that Haro got wet and it beat him to a pulp. I need Haro for stuff like that because I'm an idiot." Vincenzo answered. An hour ago, another crew member named Trevor, spilled water on Vincenzo's Haro unit and it started to malfunction. Before Vincenzo got the robot, Haro bounced around the room and smacked Trevor in his face with its body. The blow that hurt the most came when Haro bounced around the room and it finally smashed itself on Trevor's crotch. Let's just say that guy is not getting up soon.

"You got to do something about that stupid machine. It is becoming nothing for a menace." The Captain said harshly,

"Hey, I need Haro, Captain. You know I have a very bad case of tunnel vision when I'm in my Duel. And it wouldn't be a problem if you retards didn't dunk him with water. He will kill you. Just wait." Vincenzo answered. At that point, The Captain nearly lost it with the young man's total disregard for his authority.

"Just where in God's name did we fucking find your ass? If I had my way, I'd kill you myself!" The Captain said loudly, his voice filling with anger and near hatred.

"Hey, it was either this or go to jail for stealing fast super cars. And I'm not interested in being ass raped by a guy who is twice as big as me. And since you're already bitching at me for not doing those reports, I'll work on them now so you can shut up." Vincenzo countered and with that, he turned around and began to leave sick bay.

"You will chop that ponytail off, Vincenzo." The Captain said harshly as he pointed at him. While the organization is considered a private military company, they do have really lax rules when it comes to personal dress and such. But for the sake of unity and morale, the crew of both the Eliminator and Devastator wear the same outfits. Mostly special jump suits in different colors to show which department they belong in and each member has the option of personalizing their suit in different ways, usually with logo patches or sewed in designs. While most people have their hairstyles look normal, Vincenzo has become rather fond of his long ponytail, despite the fact that it can easily get caught in things if he's not careful, which is very rare. In short, Vincenzo doesn't play by the rules.

"And I'll cut your balls off if you do." Vincenzo shot back with even more venom in his voice. The door closed behind the young man, leave the Captain and the Doctor with the mysterious patient. There was complete silence, except for the vitals monitor which beeped with every heartbeat.

"What are you going to do with him, Sir?" The Doctor asked, breaking the silence between the two older men.

"I really can't do anything to him. He's the only one in the organization who can operate a mobile suit with an anti-ship sword as normal armament. Plus he is that good in close combat with blades and sabers. I hate his guts, but his skill is vital in the organization." The Captain said as he let out a frustrated sigh. It was no secret that the two men from different generations really didn't get along, but he really couldn't get rid of the young man because he does have skills that is needed in missions.

"So you're up shit creek without a paddle." The Doctor pointed out,

"And that means I'm paddling with my hands in shit. Anyway, keep me updated on the patient's condition and any changes. I'm heading to the hangar to see if Leeroy found anything in that suit." The Captain said,

"Understood, Sir." The Doctor said as he gave the Captain a salute before he went back to observing the young man in the bed. With that, the Captain left sick bay and headed to the ship's small hangar.

* * *

Closing Notes:  
The first real chapter comes to a close. With the Archangel fearing that ZAFT might have gotten Kira, they are fearing the worst and keeping this from Lacus won't help anyone if he isn't found soon. The mysterious organization's plans are still in the dark, but they might be more sinister than anything anyone has planned before.

I don't know how soon I can get Phase two on here, but I will try. I got ideas that are coming out. Also, it helps a lot if you listen to Super Eurobeat music. Something about Eurobeat really makes writing easier.

Please leave a review if you enjoyed this or drop me a PM if you wish. Until next time.


	3. Phase 2: Awakening Of Dark Intentions

Disclaimers:  
I DO NOT have the rights to Gundam Seed, GSD, its characters, mobile suits and its setting. They are all property of Bandai and Sunrise. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. This is purely for enjoyment purposes. The original characters in this story are mine and they each got a little tag on them stating they they are mine.

Author's Notes:  
I seem to be getting back to a normal writer's groove here as the progress of this story is exceeding my expectations. If I can get maybe two chapters posted a week at the most, then I think that's phenomenal even for me. I hope I can attract more readers to this story and get a review or two out of it.

In this chapter, The Organization discovered the identity of the young pilot who is currently in their care while the crew of the Archangel go into serious worry mode over the fact that Kira's mobile suit hasn't been found at all despite Cagalli trying her heart out to find him. The Archangel crew aren't the only ones worried about Kira. A certain Pink-Haired Princess is probably the most worried out of everyone.

* * *

In The Shadows

Phase 2: Awakening Of Dark Intentions

Lacus Clyne was anxiously awaiting any word about Kira Yamato from her friends on the Archangel. She could tell that something is horribly wrong from their silence whenever she tried to contact Murrue and the others in ORB. Whenever Kira went into any battle, Lacus instantly worries about him, just like any woman whose loved one goes into battle.

"Are you still worried about everyone on Earth?" Andrew Waltfeld, the Captain of the Eternal said as he entered Lacus' office on board former ZAFT assigned vessel. The ship was hiding as a giant rock next to the mobile suit factory where updated versions of the Justice and the Freedom were being built. She was hoping to give the machines to Kira and Athrun when the time is right.

"I am more worried about Kira more than anything else, Mr. Waltfeld. I know that the Archangel made it safely to ORB, but I just have this feeling that something bad has happened to Kira. And since Miss Murrue hasn't told me anything about Kira, I am beginning to fear the worst." Lacus answered sadly. Andrew could see the distress in the young lady's face. She really did care about Kira a lot and the feeling was mutual for him as well. Heck, he liked the kid as well, even though he lost Aisha in a major battle they had during the first Bloody Valentine War. Andrew never had any hard feelings towards Kira after that, already knowing the pain of war. Right now, the Desert Tiger was at a loss for words on how to make Lacus feel better.

_I hope nothing terrible happened to you, kid. If you didn't come back to her, I'm not sure how well Lacus will handle it._ Andrew thought to himself just as Lacus raised her head to make eye contact,

"That reminds me, Mr. Waltfeld. Why did you send DaCosta to that derelict colony nearby?" Lacus asked. Martin DaCosta is one of Lacus' staunchest supporters and one of the many ZAFT soldiers who defected at the end of the first Bloody Valentine War. He is also Andrew Waltfeld's trusted number two.

"There have been stories of Durandal using that colony for some sort of pet project he wants to implement on the people of Earth. So DaCosta is over there trying to find anything about Durandal's real plans." Waltfeld answered,

"Thanks to the information he showed the world about LOGOS, a lot of people on Earth are very trusting to the Chairman. And I have a bad feeling that he has mischievous plans for us and anyone else who opposes him." Lacus said,

"I heard it's becoming a real mess for the Earth Alliance and many of their forced defected to ZAFT in order to be on the right side." Waltfeld added,

"But there is no right side in this case. I have the darkest feeling that Chaiman isn't all that he seems." Lacus said. Waltfeld just nodded silently to her words. It would be a tough time for the forces against Durandal, especially since it is made worse by the fact that Kira Yamato might be missing in action. Or worse.

* * *

Back down on Earth, the Eliminator was closing in on the South American country of Val Verde. The crew was taking some time off to relax before they hooked up with their friends on the much bigger vessel, the Devastator. However, not all the crew were relaxing. The mobile suit crew were still busy working over the now dismantled wreck of a mobile suit formerly called the Freedom.

The Captain of the group was sitting in his captain's chair on the bridge as two crew members operated the helm and radar positions. The Captain was reading a few recent reports about the Freedom's capabilities when seconds later, Leeroy entered the bridge with a big smile on his face and an I.D. Card in his hand.

"Leeroy, by the look on your face, you must have found something big." The Captain said as the junior crewman handed the Captain the I.D. Card. The hangar crew found that in the wrecked mobile suit moments ago and Leeroy went straight to the Captain after he took a quick look at it.

"Oh, you're going to love what I found and you'll love who our special guest is." Leeroy said as he pointed to the young man who was still unconscious. The Captain took a look at the card and if he was drinking coffee, he would have done one hell of a spit take.

"Kira Yamato? We actually got the so-called Ultimate Coordinator on board?" The Captain exclaimed in surprise. Hearing the shocked and surprised voice of the Captain caused the two crew members to look at him in surprise just briefly before they quickly returned to their duties.

"The Ultimate Coordinator, Sir?" Leeroy asked perplexed,

"I will explain later. I have to see RLC at once. Take control of the bridge for me, Leeroy." The Captain said hurriedly and he quickly left the bridge, leaving a shocked Leeroy and the two crew members in stunned silence. RLC is the name of the organization's supercomputer that is housed in a special section of the Eliminator. RLC has the ability to predict an infinite number of outcomes in the missions the organization does and chooses the ones that have a near-perfect result for the group. Only the Captain has full access to RLC and once it makes a decision, its orders must be carried out at once.

"What was that all about, Leeroy?" The substitute radar operator asked,

"If I knew, I'd tell you Douglas." Leeroy replied to Douglas, the frail looking young man at the radar station.

"Since you're now in charge... what are your orders, Leeroy?" The substitute helmsman asked,

"Maintain our present heading and vessel speed for the rendezvous spot in Val Verde waters, Poochie." Leeroy replied to the substitute tall and dark looking helmsman nicknamed Poochie,

"Got it. Maintaining our current heading and vessel speed." Poochie replied as Leeroy sat in the vacated Captain's chair and took over as temporary captain. As he sat down, he began to recall stories about Kira Yamato and his ability to fight against overwhelming odds. If the organization was to reach its goal, then maybe using Kira for their own gains would work, but there is no way he would join them. Unless the Doctor did some surgery on Kira. Leeroy shook out that thought and focused on keeping Poochie and Douglas on the ball at they cruised to Val Verde.

* * *

Back on Earth, Cagalli Yula Attha was back on the Archangel reporting in on the fact that she couldn't find the cockpit of the Freedom anywhere. After over eight hours of searching she had to return because the Strike Rouge was running low on power and there was the risk of an attack by remnant ZAFT forces in the area. Without being able to find Kira, being stressed with worry is an understatement for her.

"I swear on the soul of my Father that I did not find the Freedom's cockpit anywhere, Miss Murrue! I looked everywhere I could with the Rouge, but the cockpit seemed to disappear!" Cagalli answered, totally distressed by the fact that the Freedom seemed disappear into thin air and taking Kira with it.

"You tried, Cagalli. That is the only thing we can ask from you. We'll think of something." Murrue said, trying her best to comfort the distraught blond haired girl.

"After hearing this, I surely hope I am wrong about what I said earlier." Neumann said, referring to his comment about ZAFT probably capturing the Freedom and using Kira for their own purposes. Surprisingly, the crew of the Archangel weren't in the mood to throw Neumann under the bus. Another problem was arising.

"I know we should be worried about Kira, but the rumor of the day is that ZAFT is planning a major attack on Heaven's Base in Iceland because it is the last LOGOS stronghold on Earth." Chandra, the Archangel's radar operator pointed out,

"Yeah, you're right. Plus there have been substantial reports of some Earth Alliance defecting to ZAFT's side for fear if they stuck by LOGOS, those forces will be branded supporters of LOGOS." Murrue said,

"I hate to be in their shoes right now with the entire world against them. It really seems like Durandal is achieving more than his predecessors when it comes to ending this war." Kisaka added,

"I know, but it seems like something else will happen to us. And it won't be good neither." Cagalli said. The crew of the Archangel seemed to share her concerns as well. Maybe they really are on the wrong side of justice. With each day, anti-LOGOS sentiments grew and support for Chairman Durandal grew as well. But there was one major concern the crew shared. Where is Kira and is he all right?

* * *

The small sick bay team were just finishing up a minor surgery procedure on Kira Yamato, whose discovery sent a shockwave of surprise around the crew of the Eliminator. While there was really nothing wrong with him, The Captain discussed the situation with the organization's super computer RLC and it told the Captain to have the medical team perform a minor surgery on the young man.

"I see you have already performed the surgery." The Captain said as he looked at the surgery team moving the young man into the recovery area for post surgery analysis.

"That is correct, Sir. Per RLC's orders, we have implanted the special tracking chip and if need be, RLC can remotely order us to change the chip's programming if he feels this young man can be of any use to us." The Doctor said as he was beginning to get out of his surgery scrubs,

"Good work, you guys. Did you get the sudden orders from RLC before you planted the chip?" The Captain asked,

"Yes. One of my aides read the orders and made the necessary changes to the chip. When he wakes up and doesn't remember anything, that means the chip is working to full potential." The Doctor answered,

"I really hate doing this to a young man we found, but we have to follow our doctrine." The Captain said. Moments later, Vincenzo entered the sick bay unit and noticed that the Doctor was finished getting out of his surgery scrubs.

"There was brain surgery and I missed it?" Vincenzo asked surprised. Anything bloody, gory and violent is one of the young man's interest. For reasons unknown, he seems to enjoy watching surgery operations.

"Yes, Vincenzo. There was tons of blood and he nearly died eight times." The Captain said falsely,

"You can't fool me, pops. The Doctor and his team are 100% professionals. I bet it went super smooth and there was minimal invasion of the dude's brain." Vincenzo said, like it was a matter of fact.

"Well, Vincenzo. If you're so interested in what is going to happen, we have just finished a surgery where we implanted a homing and health tracking chip in the base of his skull." The Doctor said,

"Wait, what? Are you going to lo-jack him?" Vincenzo asked,

"No, you idiot. We implanted the chip into his skull just to keep an eye on his vitals while we try to help him get back to where he came from." The Doctor lied. His last statement wasn't true, although the chip does function as a tracking device and keeps and eye on his vitals as well.

"Oh, Sure. I believe you. And I also know that there are some chips that can block memories and implant different orders for them to carry out in secret." Vincenzo said, almost suspecting the real reasons for implanting Kira with the chip.

"You must be reading too many science fiction stories online." The Doctor said,

"Hey, we have to do something to keep ourselves occupied until we hook up with the Devastator." Vincenzo said,

"You could have kept yourself occupied by finishing those damn reports you haven't turned in yet." The Captain said harshly,

"Well, I got another question. Why not pump him up with nanomachines and have them on the System like you did with everyone else? Better yet, why not make him take that disgusting crap you give me so I can go crazy and kill everybody? It's worse than that Red Bull shit that all of you worship. I swear they developed that shit from Red Bull." Vincenzo said,

"Red Bull is nowhere near the raw taste of Gamma Glipheptin when taken without a chaser. The only reason you hate Red Bull is because you threw up an hour later after taking it that one time." The Doctor said,

"The reason I puked that day was because the Iron Chef rejects we have in the mess hall used bad fish in the special that day. I haven't had fish ever since. And I used to love Fish 'n' Chips." Vincenzo answered,

"Look, Vincenzo. Just shut up for a minute. This young man is Kira Yamato, a.k.a., the Ultimate Coordinator." The Captain said as he pointed to the young man recovering in the ICU,

"Ultimate Coordinator? That kid? He looks a bit on the scrawny side if you ask me. I could break him in two like a twig." Vincenzo said as he looked at Kira's still sleeping form. He and Kira are roughly the same size, but Kira would most likely kick his ass in a fight.

"That 'twig' as you just called him, was one of the major protagonists whose actions ended the First Bloody Valentine War two years ago. People have said he's some sort of genius because he can easily re-write a complex operating system for mobile suits without thinking." The Doctor answered,

"So we got a brainiac on board. Can he outwit RLC in a chess match?" Vincenzo joked. The young man's constant sarcasm was now wearing thin on the two men. They can only tolerate so much of Vincenzo's crap before they try to kill him. However, the Captain was the cooler head and was hoping to end this nonsense.

"Shut up and listen to me, Vincenzo. Kira Yamato is also the brother of the current leader of ORB, Cagalli Yula Attha. He is also known to have access to powerful technology that he and his allies use." The Captain said,

"Cagalli Yula Attha? But she had blond hair and he's a brunette. So we're going to use him as leverage and make ORB do our bidding?" Vincenzo asked,

"I don't know, Vincenzo. RLC hasn't told me the specific details. I have to submit my report on the successful surgery to him before any other steps can be taken." The Captain answered,

"Have fun chatting with the computer, Captain. Derek wants me to help him inspect some systems the crew found on that suit called the Freedom. Maybe I can use some of them in my Duel." Vincenzo said as he left sick bay and the door slid to a close behind him. The two men gave out a frustrated sigh after Vincenzo left. There are those moments were Vincenzo nearly becomes a threat to the mission, but for some odd reason, RLC has told the Captain to keep him on the team. The supercomputer knows something they don't, so they are forced to tolerate the young man's constant annoyance.

"I think Vincenzo might be onto what we are planning." The Doctor said,

"Well, it really is no secret that those chips also have mind control capabilities that allow RLC to make people do the organization's bidding. In any case, continue to monitor the young man. We should be meeting up with our teammates on the Devastator sometime tomorrow." The Captain said,

"Orders understood, Sir." The doctor replied.

* * *

Closing Notes:

The Organization seems to begun their plans, whatever they may be. How they plan on using Kira with his memory blocked out is still a mystery. Only the supercomputer RLC knows the full plan, but it seems like Kira's friends have the right to worry. And what will happen when the Devastator and the Eliminator finally meet near Val Verde?

Please keep on reading and until the next time we meet, keep your mobile suit in tip top condition, make sure your Haro doesn't get wet and be ready to sortie in a moment's notice. And do drop a review or two if you like this story.


	4. Phase 3: Enter the Terminator

Disclaimers:  
I DO NOT have the rights to Gundam Seed, GSD, its characters, mobile suits and its setting. They are all property of Bandai and Sunrise. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. This is purely for enjoyment purposes. The original characters in this story are mine and they each got a little tag on them stating they they are mine. Removal of said tag will result in a fine or imprisonment.

Author's Notes:  
Remember in the last chapter I said I was back in the writing groove? Well, I'm stuck in a rut. Something I'm familiar with. And it didn't help that my writing time was taken over by playing Metroid Fusion and as of right now, Saints Row: The Third. That game is FUN!

One main reason why I'm having such a hard time right now is because I have some difficulty in being descriptive. Like in this chapter, the main ship of the Organization makes its debut and I tried to describe to you readers what the ship looks like from my thoughts and I have trouble with that. The scene with Shinn and Rey was a tough one as well because I had to pry into the mixed emotions of Shinn just after he followed orders and killed Athrun and Meyrin, so I had a hard time with that as well. I will probably have an even harder time when I have Shinn meet up with Lunamaria sometime soon and have to deal with that situation. I know where I want to go with it, but I have a very hard time trying to get it into text. I want to make it like readers can feel for the characters, but trying to get it down on here is one thing I have problems with.

I feel like I sort of rushed this chapter since I got most of it done a week ago. It's mainly because of my describing problems and writing exact emotions. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Phase 3.

* * *

**In The Shadows**  
**Phase 3: Enter the Terminator**

For Shinn Asuka, having a whirlwind of emotions only made him more confused about what he had to do a mere few hours ago. He was forced to kill Athrun Zala, suspected for being a secret agent for LOGOS who stole secret ZAFT files for the dreaded organization. Not only that, Chairman Gilbert Durandal also said that Meyrin Hawke, Lunamaria's little sister was assisting Athrun, making her a part of his plans. Having Athrun actually betray ZAFT against was troubling, but hearing he corrupted poor Meyrin was beginning to make his blood boil. God only knows what Lunamaria is going through right now. Meyrin was her only family left and Shinn deeply regretted killing her.

"Are you still thinking about the events that have taken place?" A cool sounding voice called out from the empty locker room that Shinn was in. He turned to the voice and noticed that it was his friend, roommate and close confidant, Rey Za Burrel. The young man with shoulder length pale blond hair proudly wore the ZAFT Red uniform, indicating that he's an ace pilot, just like Shinn and Lunamaria Hawke.

"I hate being confused despite the glaring evidence in my face. It all boils down to one question: why would Athrun do such a thing?" Shinn asked himself, not caring if Rey was in the room.

"You do know that the pilot of the Freedom was one of Athrun's partners in LOGOS. And we all know he didn't take the news very well and began to question Chairman Durandal's motives for the future." Rey answered, getting straight to the point.

"I remember that. Plus I also remember that pointless slap he gave me for it. Okay, so I killed his friend. I understood how close he was to him, but I never question anything the Chairman ordered." Shinn said. The young man had a lot of respect for Athrun, but his reaction for killing Kira shocked him deeply.

"It might have been the reason that he defected to LOGOS in order to gain revenge for his friend's death. He has been acting a bit strange since that person's death." Rey answered,

"Don't remind me. But I'm more upset about Meyrin. I mean, was she really helping Athrun all this time?" Shinn asked,

"We might never know why Meyrin went with Zala or if it was him that swayed her to his way of thinking. Either way, you had to perform your duty and pushed your personal feelings to the side. However, I should tell you that the crew of the Minerva are in very good spirits by your recent actions. You have given us a very big boost in morale." Rey answered. It was true that the crew of the Minerva were riding high with optimism after Shinn's victory against Kira and the Freedom and the fact that a major traitor in the ZAFT ranks was eliminated by Shinn as well. His nickname of the Super Ace seemed to prove itself right with each passing victory. Rey's words of encouragement was working on Shinn and the young man was feeling somewhat better about the situation.

"Yeah. You're right. I do feel a bit better now. I had to eliminate a potential enemy and there is no room for personal feels in war, even though I had to kill Meyrin as well." Shinn said, but he was still torn by the fact that he had to kill Meyrin as well. Rey sensed this and he knew that it would be a good idea to speak with Lunamaria and try to comfort her.

"That is correct, Shinn. However, I do want you to talk to Lunamaria. She's probably devastated by the fact that Meyrin was corrupted by Athrun Zala. I'm nowhere near as close to her as you are, in addition I have to file my report to Captain Gladys." Rey said,

"I know. I'll speak to her. I know she might hate me for this, but I have to talk to her. I might be late in sending my report to Captain Gladys, though." Shinn said,

"Don't worry. I am sure she will understand. I'll see you in the mess hall tonight, all right?" Rey said as Shinn nodded to his wing man and friend. The light blond haired young man left the room, leaving Shinn alone once again to gather his thoughts.

* * *

The crew of the Eliminator were preparing for the arrival of their bigger, sister ship, the Devastator. It took the crew of the opposite ship an extra few days because they misjudged their re-entry point from space and ended up deep in the Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic Federation. The original rendezvous was supposed to be near Gibraltar Base, but thanks to the mistake, the original arrival day was pushed back. After over three days of traveling underwater, the two ships finally arrived at the new rendezvous in the waters off of Val Verde. Once the two ships arrived, they began the long process of marrying the two into one, giant ship with The Captain and the bridge crew overseeing the merging operation.

The process began with the Devastator's front bow pushing away from the ship and split into two, almost looking like a pair of jaws that seemed ready to eat the Eliminator. Instead, the jaws unhinged themselves as the extended part of the bow acted as an elbow of sorts The smaller of the ships, the Eliminator, attached itself into the slot that appeared when the Devastator's front bow split into two and each side acted as an arm and looked to hug the smaller ship as it attached. The arms housed the ship's Lohengrin-type Positron Blaster Cannons.

"Docking with the Devastator is now complete." Jenkins said as the monitors were showing that the connection phase was successful,

"Bring the Terminator online." The Captain ordered. Within seconds, the joined cruisers began to charge up with the power from the now combined power plant, activating many of the new ship's features. Corridors were joined and connected, power couplings were attacked and energy flowed through them. Various vents, pipes and shafts were merged and have begun to deliver air and water throughout the merged ship.

"The Terminator is now operational, Captain." Jenkins answered.

At first glance, the newly formed Terminator bares no resemblance to any space cruisers in the Earth Military and or ZAFT. The ship seemed to look like a giant medicine pill, a very curvy design that makes it perfect to disguise itself as a big asteroid with the right equipment. The back of the ship houses the three giant engines that made the back of the ship seem swollen. The middle engine was from the Eliminator, which was detached first and put into place as the Devastator began to connect. The two engines of the Devastator detach and make a gap for the third engine to connect into place using magnetic technology. The separation of the engines was the reason the back of the ship has that swollen look as the outer hull morphed into its new shape, gaining extra pieces that now hide some weaponry that can be unveiled during a battle, which mimics the Archangel and the Minerva in how it deploys its weapons array.

It also has the same weapons as the two ships with a few differences. Besides the two Lohengrin cannons in the "arms" of the ship, the Terminator has two Gottfried 225cm high-energy beam cannons located on the back where the engines are and can maneuver to any angle. The ship has not two, but four Valiant 110cm Linear cannons mounted in the four corners of the ship for reasons unknown except for aiming at enemies at any angle. Because the ship is over twice as big as the Archangel, it has double the number of missile tubes. The forty-eight surface-to-ship missile launchers and the thirty-two surface-to-air launchers are located in various sections of the ship with the majority of them located in the stern section. A small number of missile launchers are holed up at the front bow of the ship with a section of small missile tubes for the Helldart ant-aircraft missiles. Another section for Helldarts are housed in a secret area near the mobile shut hangar with one final batch at the rear of the ship underneath the engines.

How the ship deploys its mobile suits is different from the Archangel and many ZAFT ships, which uses linear catapults to launch suits into battle. The suits move into a staging area where a bulkhead door seals the suit in, creating an airtight lock while the chamber is depressurized or filled with water depending on where they are. This prevents the vacuum of space from getting into the hangar while in space as well as preventing water from flooding the mobile suit hangar while the Terminator is underwater. Once the change in the chamber is complete, the outer hull is opened and it acts as a platform for the suit to launch off of. It takes a ready to battle mobile suit just under ninety seconds to walk to the chamber, seal the bulkhead door, depressurize the chamber and open the outer hull hatch to allow the suit to fly into battle. There are four total mobile suit chambers, two on each side, for the suits to enter and exit the Terminator during battle, which are all adjacent to the middle of the mobile suit hangar

"Excellent. Call the crew in the mobile suit hangar for a quick briefing." The Captain ordered.

"Understood, Sir." Jenkins said.

* * *

Minutes later, the two crews of the ships have been brought together in the main mobile suit hangar of their now combined ship. The crew of the Eliminator were completely dwarfed by the much larger crew of the Devastator by at least four to one. The Devastator is home to the big mobile suit hangar, most of the living quarters of the crew, the Research and Development lab, a highly advanced sick bay and a far superior mess hall. The mobile suit hangar has the most crew assigned to make sure it can keep the ship's fleet of Mobile Suits battle ready.

The smaller Eliminator houses the Bridge for the two ships, the CIC, the weapons department, prisoner cells, a very small mobile suit hangar and probably the most important two places for the crew of the combined Terminator, the Sports Bar and the Recreational Center.

Most of the crew has gathered in the hangar when Vincenzo arrived along with his Haro, which he carried in his arm like a helmet. Unlike the multiple Haros Lacus Clyne has in her possession thanks to Athrun, this particular Haro is colored gray and is roughly the size of a basketball. Clearly, it is much bigger than Mr. Pink and a bit on the vulgar side. Upon arrival, the gray Haro wiggled out of Vincenzo's right arm and began to bounce around the hangar, flapping its ear-like flaps happily.

"What up, bitches? What up, bitches?" Gray Haro said cheerfully as it bounced up and down on the ground, flapping its covers rapidly causing everybody to shoot eye daggers at Vincenzo. They are not fans of his Haro.

"Haro, shut up!" Vincenzo said as he grabbed the bouncing Haro in mid air.

"Still trying to get that piece of shit Haro to work right? You know it's your fault for programming him to say nasty things all the time." One of the crew members said. Before Vincenzo could shoot back with an insult, the Captain arrived with the rest of the bridge crew for the briefing.

"Okay, people! If you're done fooling around, I want to update you on the current situation." The Captain said loudly. The rest of the crew shut up and stood at attention as Vincenzo made his way a group of three people who stood in front of one of the mass production mobile suits. Once everybody was settled, the Captain began.

"It seems like Supreme Chairman Gilbert Durandal is riding a wave of good luck. People on earth are already rejecting LOGOS and they are going after them with effective results." The Captain began,

"Wait. That's bad for us, isn't it?" A young man with a Russian accent asked,

"If you recall, one LOGOS member got all butt-hurt and gave Durandal classified information on LOGOS and fed it to the people of Earth in order to get them and Blue Cosmos gone. He maybe planning something else that is big, but we have no clue what." The Captain answered,

"Is Durandal trying to become the savior of Naturals despite them trying to off the people in the PLANTS?" Another young man asked. He was clearly from America and he looked more like a businessman than a member of the organization, wearing a nice looking silk shirt with a ark colored tie and dark gray business slacks. He was standing next to the Russian while Vincenzo looked on with Haro in his arms and a girl with long black hair and red eyes stood with the group.

"Not all Naturals dislike Coordinators. It's all due to Blue Cosmos' influence." The young lady with long black hair said,

"You're right. Blue Cosmos and LOGOS have manipulated the minds of the people here but Durandal is trying to make a bridge of understanding between the two races. Also, our teammates hidden in the PLANTs haven't gotten anything about Gilbert Durandal's plans. His actions seem genuine since he believes that having LOGOS due their anti-Coordinator antics is bad for both sides, since it continues the war." The Captain answered,

"Probably he wants to really have peace between Earth and the PLANTs." The sharp dressed man said,

"I doubt it." Vincenzo said snidely,

"Enough, Vincenzo. We also learned from our people in the PLANTs that Athrun Zala and another person were eliminated by ZAFT due to stealing sensitive information and tried to defect to LOGOS. However, I feel that Durandal decided to remove Zala since he wasn't useful anymore. So they killed him and the person he was with and made it look like they were traitors." The Captain said,

"Athrun Zala, the son of the late, genocidal Patrick Zala? I do recall that he once defected from ZAFT before to join forces against them and the Atlantic Federation." One member of the mobile suit mechanic team said,

"Sounds like ZAFT really doesn't like defectors. I bet you Zala messed up something small and that was it for him." The Russian man added,

"Sounds more like Durandal has some Italian mafia genes in him, asking somebody to do a hit on a guy he doesn't like." Vincenzo said,

"He must be one powerful guy to order something that elaborate." Another mechanic also added. That alone started the gathering crew to gossip about Durandal's powerful reach in the PLANTs.

"Are you all done gossiping, people?" The Captain asked annoyed. The crew immediately silenced and the older man coughed quietly before continuing the briefing.

"Back to the matter at hand. We also have reports that the infamous Archangel had survived the assault from the Minerva a few days ago and have made it back to ORB waters." The Captain said,

"The Archangel? The same Archangel that got its ass kicked a few days ago when we found that nuke powered mobile suit a few days ago?" The young lady with black hair asked,

"I heard that ship has survived a great share of battles because one of their mobile suit pilots is a Coordinator." The American man said,

"The very same ship. From the reports we have gathered, ZAFT went after that ship just after Durandal revealed LOGOS to the world. And he made people believe that the Archangel was also a part of LOGOS since they pretty much ruled the Earth Alliance." The Captain said,

"And ORB is part of the Earth Alliance, despite their neutrality leanings. That makes sense. Anyway, what are your orders, sir?" The American man asked,

"Keith, I want you to lead Vincenzo, Ronin and Selene in a strike against ZAFT and battle against that new machine they unveiled for the pilot who destroyed that Archangel mobile suit. They are probably going to take out Heaven's Base, the new Headquarters of the Earth Alliance." The Captain said as he pointed to the group standing in front of the mobile suit. The group of four young people were the main mobile suit pilots of the Terminator.

"Heaven's Base in Iceland? Isn't that were many members of LOGOS are hiding, including Lord Djibril?" The young American named Keith asked,

"That's correct, Keith. ZAFT want to get their hands on LOGOS since popular opinion is against them." The Captain answered,

"Sir, I got a question I need answered." Vincenzo said, raising his hand so he could be heard.

"You, Vincenzo? This better not be a retarded question as usual." The Captain said harshly,

"If we go ahead with the attack on Heaven's Base, we are allowing Lord Djibril the window he needs to escape the planet and make other plans god knows where since LOGOS is persona non grata here on Earth. We all know he'll continue to make havoc in the name of killing every Coordinator for 'A Blue and Pure World'." Vincenzo answered. His answer nearly shocked everybody in the meeting. Mario Vincenzo is the a crazed psycho who usually doesn't think straight most of the time. It is one of the side effects of the Gamma Glipheptin he takes before battles to give him that edge. So hearing him voice a very legitimate concern about a aspect of the mission was out of left field.

"If our mission were to stop this war, that would be a point of interest. However, we know Djibril will try to escape to an Earth Alliance base to regroup and attack the PLANTs. If both sides are so eager to kill each other off, why don't we let them and if they realize what they are doing, we'll the door to their destruction ourselves." The Captain answered,

"You're right about that, Sir. That is why we joined this group. Because both Naturals and Coordinators are idiots who are both too dumb to live." Keith said,

"So what happens if we end up meeting the Minerva during the fight with that new suit at heaven's Base?" The Russian man named Ronin asked, clearly worried about the power of the Minerva.

"You all better avoid it like the plague." The Captain answered,

"That's not very comforting." Selene said, she being the young lady with the long black hair and piercing red eyes.

"War is not comforting at all, Selene. Besides, you all have taken out even bigger ships than the Minerva in the past." The Captain said,

"True, but the Minerva and even the Archangel are in a class by themselves. They are the Premier League of ships while we have been taking out ships that are in League One or League Two." Selene added,

"For now, we will make our way to Heaven's Base underwater. It'll take a day or two to get there since we had to deviate from our original travel plan. Until then, I want the mobile suit maintenance crew work on getting any more secrets out of that ZAFT mobile suit Leeroy and Jenkins found a few days ago." The Captain ordered,

"SIR, YES SIR!" The large mobile suit mechanic team said loudly at once,

"Research and Development will assist you in finding any secrets we can use from that suit." The Captain added,

"Orders understood, Captain." The head of R&D answered as the rest of his team saluted in acknowledgment,

"The rest of the crew will resume normal duties for now. As for the pilots, resume your normal daily routine. Try to relax and get some simulation training in before the next mission." The Captain said,

"You got it, Sir." Keith said as he, Ronin and Selene saluted. Vincenzo on the other hand really didn't give much of a salute, but the Captain expected that from the purple haired young man.

* * *

Closing Notes:  
This chapter took a lot of time to make. I tend to have trouble describing things and exact emotions of characters. I can see how hurt, anxious and worried, but I can't put that into text. Plus I have another worry. I've never written a mecha battle before and there will be a major battle in a couple of chapters. And add the planned scene with Shinn and Lunamaria, I have a few major issues to get through and that is why I pretty much have slowed down in writing this.

Until next time, keep your mobile suit in tip top condition, make sure your Haro doesn't get wet and be ready to sortie in a moment's notice. And please do drop a review or two if you enjoy this new chapter.


End file.
